The Malta Arbitration Centre was set up to promote and encourage the conduct of domestic arbitration and international commercial arbitration. It is administered by a Board of Governors appointed by the President of Malta but is independent of Government.

The law setting up the Centre incorporates the UNCITRAL Model Law (First Schedule to the Act), the Geneva Protocol on Arbitration Clauses (Second Schedule to the Act), the Geneva Convention on the Execution of Foreign Arbitral Awards (Second Schedule to the Act), the UN Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (Second Schedule to the Act) and the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (Third Schedule to the Act). It also provides for the formation of Arbitration Chambers between Maltese and non-residents of Malta for the purpose of international arbitration. A non-resident will pay only a modest amount of tax in Malta following a distribution made by an Arbitration Chamber.